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THE REGISTRYLast reviewed:Guidelines on Windows' Registry safety. • How to backup the Registry. • How to re-install that Registry. • Registry Backup and Reinstall utilities. • Microsoft's Emergency Recovery Utility (ERU). REGISTRY SAFETY [1]Windows 95/98 holds important information on software, hardware, and user preferences in a variety of system files: the Registry, Win.ini, System.ini, INF folder, others.The Registry (system.dat and user.dat) holds vital information and is necessary for running Windows 95/98. This information is stored in three major subgroups called Registry keys. Each is duplicated in the Registry, so you will actually see six groups. The value of each key is set by the software installed, or by information entered. Many common, sometimes disastrous, Windows 95/98 problems result from faulty data in the Registry. Tweaking the Registry can be dangerous. It can cause failure of Windows 95/98 to start, a lock up, a crash, a program failure. Registry alterations may be useful, or even necessary, but caution is advised. [top of page] REGISTRY SAFETY [2]Many home users are tempted to manually alter the registry.It can be quite safe to do so. The degree of risk involved depends on the level of understanding, and on competence and precaution. Any change you make is implemented immediately and without prompting. It is a one way street and you need to know how to get out of it. There can be no long term damage provide you: 1. Backup a current working version of the Registry 2. Know how to re-install that backup from DOS If you are unsure of EITHER, then do not interfere with the Registry ALWAYS backup a WORKING version FIRST • • • > All changes are final - there is no Undo < • • • [top of page] REGISTRY SAFETY [3]One of the few certainties of life is that the Windows Registry WILL become corrupt at some stage. The result may be a minor hipcup or a total disaster.Microsoft may have created the problem but it is your computer and it is up to you to protect it as best as possible. A few minutes every month will give protection. • Have a recent pristine backup of the Registry• • • > All changes are final - there is no Undo < • • • [top of page] REGISTRY KEYS [1]Contents of the Registry under My ComputerHKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (files types, associations, interface, shortcuts, Drag-Drop) HKEY_CURRENUSER (user profile information and customizations. See also HKEY_USERS) SubKeys include AppEvents - sounds for system and application events Control Panel - settings InstallLocationsMRU - paths for Startup Keyboard - current settings Network - connection information RemoteAccess - Dial-up Networking location information Software - configuration for the current user [top of page] REGISTRY KEYS [2]HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (hardware/software settings common to all users)SubKeys include Config - configuration and settings information Enum - hardware device information and settings Hardware - serial communication port information and settings Network - networks the user is currently logged onto Security - network security settings Software - software-specific information and settings System - system startup; device driver information; OS settings. HKEY_USERS (desktop and user settings for individual users, if more than one) HKEY_CURRENCONFIG (current hardware configuration) Points to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE HKEY_DYN_DATA (plug-n-play devices; changes dynamically) You can right-click most entries, and edit them. [top of page] REGISTRY - MANUAL BACKUPMany would advise you to use a reliable utility to make changes to the Registry. Manual manipulation has been known to necessitate a complete re-installation, plus loss of data. Even if using a utility, you should backup the Registry first.• Open Windows Explorer [top of page] REGISTRY MANUAL RE-INSTALLATION [1]If Windows 95/98 gives you the dreaded "Your registry is corrupt " message, it is telling you the Registry can not run, or can not continue to run even though Windows 95/98 loaded normally. The later may occur after installation of software or hardware.Windows 95/98 keeps one backup copy of your Registry, created each and every time you launch Windows 95/98 (system.da0 and user.da0 in _:\Windows) i.e. it is a very recent backup of the Registry. If the 'corrupt' message occurs after a correct loading of Windows 95/98, then this backup should be usable. However if it occurs at loading time , then it is likely the Windows 95/98 backup is also corrupt and unusable. There is no need to panic! Basically all you need do is reinstall your own pristine Registry backup. This will return your PC to exactly the way it was at the time you created the backup. Any alterations you made since that time will be lost (did one of them cause the problem?). You may have to reinstall recently installed programs - a lot easier than a full reinstallation of Windows 95/98, plus all programs and updates! [top of page] REGISTRY MANUAL RE-INSTALLATION [2]This assumes the Registry was saved to a directory called c:\regback\. - you must change this to point to your own backup directory.(the spaces you type in the following are important) • Reboot computer to DOS (hit ALT+F5 during start up) • At the DOS prompt type in cd windows and hit Enter • Type in attrib -h -s -r system.dat and hit Enter • Type in attrib -h -s -r user.dat and hit Enter • Type in cd\ and hit Enter • Type in copy c:\regback\system.dat c:\windows and hit Enter • Type in copy c:\regback\user.dat c:\windows and hitEnter • Restart Windows 95/98 Should this not work then repeat the above using an earlier backup. 98+In Windows 98 you can: Restart the computer to MS-DOS mode Type in: scanreg /restore and press Enter. Restart your computer. This will restore your Registry to its state when last successfully started [top of page] REGISTRY MANUAL RE-INSTALLATION [3]You may be locked out of Windows when you wish to re-install the Registry.Unless you are blessed with total recall under stressful conditions, you may wish to copy those instructions to paper or floppy for future reference.
Basically this is the same as above except the disk could also be a boot disk. Remember that the Registry files (system.dat and user.dat) will not fit on a floppy disk! Adjust the Pathways.
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